Reel attachment for hay mowers



1 9- J. BELLEGANTE REEL ATTACHMENT FOR HAY MDWERS Filed May 25, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Q/Z??? BaZZegarzie ATTORNEYS Aug. 15, 1939. J. BELLEGANTEREEL ATTACHMENT FOR HAY MOWERS Filed May 25, 1958 2 Sheet'sSheet 2 ATTORN EYS WITNESS Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE 2Claims.

This invention relates to reel attachments for hay mowers and the like,the primeobject being to provide a simple and inexpensive yet practicaland efficient device which is readily attachable to 5 an ordinary mowingmachine.

Another object is to provide a novel pivotal mounting for the reel and acorrelated special operating and controlling mechanism which is readilyincorporated with the operating mechanism for the cutting unit of themachine whereby said unit and the reel are simultaneously actuated.

A further object is to provide for the simultaneous raising and loweringof the reel with the cutting unit.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages to be attained, aswill hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in thegeneral structure and in the particular parts and combinations andarrangements of parts thereof, as hereinafter described and set forth inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsillustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, and in whichFigure l is a top plan view of a mowing machine with the rel attachmentapplied thereto, a portion of the gear casing being shown in section toexpose certain of the gear elements;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine;

Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating details of the supportingbeam structure for the reel attachment;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, illustratingportions of the shaft mounting of the reel; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating the details of theconnection-between the operating lever and the tilting means for thesickle bar.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral I0 designates generally themain body frame of the mowing machine, on the transverse beam portion ofwhich the axle I2 is mounted, said axle having traction wheels l3 fixedonits opposite end portions in the usual manner. Extending forwardlyfrom the transverse beam portion I l of the body frame I0 is the usualrectangular bracket M in which the rear end portion of the draft tongueI5 is rigidly secured, said bracket extension M, as shown, being locatedat one side of the longitudinal center of the machine between thetraction wheels ill in the direction in which the sickle bar isprojected in operative position, where-by to equalize the draft pull onthe tongue l5.

- Extending forwardly from the transverse beam portion of the bodyframe, at the end thereof on the opposite side of said longitudinalcenter of the frame, is a rigid arm it having a tubular portion llthrough which a propeller shaft l8 extends, said propeller shaft havinga beveled pinion l9 fixed on its rear end portion in mesh with acorrespondingly beveled driving gear on a counter shaft 2| journaled ina housing 22secured to the body frame beam H. The counter shaft 2! isprovided with a pinion 23 in mesh with a large driving gear 24 fixed onthe axle I2, this gearing being that which is usually provided foroperating the cutting mechanism of the ordinar mowing machine.

Pivotally mounted on the forward end portion of the arm it of the bodyframe, as at 25, is a supporting arm 26 to the opposite end portion ofwhich is rotatably attached a frame 21 on which the supporting plate orbeam 28 for the sickle bar is pivotally mounted, as will be laterdescribed. As shown, the arm 26 is provided with a hollow bracketextension 29 which is formed integrally therewith, near its pivotal endportion 25, and said bracket extension 29 is provided with a pair ofaligned ears 30 which are connected by a truss rod 3| to a forwardextension 32 of the bracket frame 21, said parts so associated beingrelatively rotatable yet affording a stable support for the plate orbeam member 28 of the cutting mechanism.

As conventionally shown, the supporting plate or beam 28 is providedalong its forward edge portion with a multiplicity of spaced pointedlugs 33 in cooperative relation to the reciprocatory sickle bar 34having the usual serrated forward cutting edge portion, said sickle barbeing actuated by the pitman 35 which is pivotally attached at one endto the sickle bar 34 and having a crank connection at its opposite endwith the propeller shaft l8.

In the general operation of a mowing machine of the character hereinillustrated, the sickle bar is operated in a substantially horizontalposition and close to the ground, but, under certain conditions, as whencutting along the face of an embankment, the supporting plate or beam 28is raised at an angle of considerable inclination upwardly from itspivotal axis on the supporting frame bracket 21, and said bracket frame2'! is also rocked to different angular positions on the bar 26 forcertain operations where it is necessary or desirable to accordingly setthe sickleis fastened to said bracket 55 and beam porbar 84. For thispurpose, means including operating levers located adjacent the driversseat on the machine is provided. As shown, the rocking means for thesupporting bracket frame 21 of the cutting mechanism includes anupstanding lever arm 36 on said bracket frame 21, said lever arm 36having a pivotal attachment 3! to one end of a link 38 whose oppositeend is pivotally attached, as at 39, to a hand lever 40 journaled, as at4|, on the body frame I8 laterally adjacent the tongue attaching bracketM. This lever 49 is provided with the usual latch element 42 (not shownin detail) which cooperates with a toothed sector 43 whereby said levermay be locked in different operative positions and accordingly holds thebracket frame 21 in its respective rotated positions.

For effecting the tilting movement of the sickle supporting plate orbeam 28 about its pivotal axis 44 on the bracket frame 21, a bell crank45 is pivotally attached to said arm 26, as at 45, adjacent to saidbracket frame 21, one arm of said bell crank 45 being connected by alink 46 to a crank arm 41 on said sickle bar supporting beam 28, theopposite arm of said bell crank 45 being connected by a link 48 to alever arm 49 which extends forwardly from and coincident with the axisof a hand lever 58 located at the side of said hand lever 4|] withinconvenient reach of the operator from the seat 5|, which latter ismounted, as at 52, on the body frame |0 rearward of the transverse beamportion thereof. Normally, the lever 58 is latched to a toothed sectorsimilar to the sector 43 of the lever 48, but is releasable foroperation in one direction to effect the actuation of the bell crank 45when it is desired to swing the sickle bar upwardly on the pivotal axis44 of its support.

The bracket frame 21 is provided with a ground shoe 53, while the sicklesupporting plate or beam 28 is provided at its outer end with the usualswath divider 54, which parts are shown more or less conventionally, asare all the other parts hereinbefore described as to the cuttingmechanism of the machine, which, obviously, may be of any approvedconstruction and enters into the present invention not of itself butonly in a general way in connection with the reel attachment and itsoperating and controlling means which will now be described.

In the illustrative structure of the reel attachment of the presentinvention, a transverse support is provided on the draft beam l5, saidsupport, as shown, including a bracket 55 which is formed of a singleflat metal bar, one end portion of which is rebent rectangularly, as at56, to provide, a substantially inverted U-shaped saddle to fit over thetongue I5, said bar being extended for some distance horizontally fromthe saddle portion 56, then at a slight upward incline and finallyturned vertically upward, as at 51, the extreme upper end portion beingprovided with a bearing hub 58. Extending across the top of the saddleportion 56 of the metal bracket element 55 is an elongated wooden beammember 59 which is apertured vertically where it crosses the saddleportion 56 for the reception of a securing bolt 68 which is extendedthrough aligned apertures in said saddle portion 56 and the underlyingportion of the draft tongue I5, the lower end of said bolt 68 beingprovided with a securing nut 6|. Between the horizontal portion of thebracket member 55 and the end portion 62 of the wooden beam member 59 isplaced a filler block 63 which tion 62 by bolts 64 which are insertedthrough aligned openings in said parts and secured by nuts 65 providedon their lower ends.

The reel, designated generally by the numeral 66, may be of any desiredconstruction, but, as shown, it comprises four blade members 61 whichare carried by spiders 68 fixed on a supporting shaft 69, said shaft 69being attached by a universal coupling 18 to a propeller shaft H, whichlatter is journaled at one end in the bearing portion 58 of the bracketextension 51 and at its opposite end portion in a bearing 12 mounted onthe transverse beam member 59 at the side of the draft; tongue |5opposite to that from which the bracket member 55 projects. Normally,the reel shaft 69 is supported in a horizontal position by abearingelement 13 which rests on the adjacent end portion of saidtransverse beam member 59, said bearing element having oppositely ddisposed apertured cars 14 which are slidably mounted on arcuateportions 15 of a pair of upstanding brackets 76 located on oppositesides of the beam member 59, and said bearing 1.3 being yieldably heldagainst the beam member by springs 11 coiled around said arcuate bracketportions 15 and interposed between said ears 14 of the bearing 13 andstop ccllais 19 at the upper ends of said arcuate bracket portions l5.

The propeller shaft 1| is provided with a pulley 79 which is connectedby a belt 88 to a driving pulley 8| provided on the counter shaft 2| ofthe hereinbefore described driving gear for the propeller shaft N3 ofthe cutter operating mechanism. By this provision the reel 66 issimultaneously rotated during the operation of the sickle bar.

In order to raise and lower the reel 65 together with the sickle bar, acollar 82 is sleeved rotatably on the shaft 69 between the two fixedthrust collars 83 and 84, said collar 82 having a cable 85 attached atone end thereto, said cable 85 extending over a pulley 86 mounted on theupper end portion of a standard 81 extending upwardly from the middle ofthe cross beam 59, and thence downwardly under a pulley 88 on saidstandard 81 and attached at its opposite end to said operating lever 58,as at 89. By this provision, when the operating lever 50 is actuated torock the bell crank 45 so as to raise the beam 28 of the cuttermechanism, the reel shaft 69 is at the same time swung upwardly on itsuniversal coupling Ill against the tension of the springs 11. In thisconnection, it is noted that the reel 66 is not only raised and loweredsimultaneously with the sickle bar, but due to the flexible connectionby means of the cable 85 between the collar 82 on the reel shaft 69 andsaid pulley 86 on the standard 81, together with the provision of thespring elements 11, the reel 66 is permitted to swing upwardly whenmeeting with substantial resistance from an obstacle in the path thereofand the driving belt 89 will also slip on the pulleys T9 and 8| andthereby prevent damage to the reel and its driving means.

The standard 8'! may be of any desirable form and arrangement, but, asshown, it preferably comprises a pair of parallel elongated plates 90,said plates 98 having angular extensions 9| at their lower endsoverlapping the opposite sides of the beam member 59 and being securedthereto by bolts 92, and in order to brace said standard 81 a diagonalstay rod 93 is extended forwardly and downwardly from the upper end ofsaid standard and attached at its lower end to the draft tongue I5, asat 94.

Obviously, the structure may be modified in of the invention as definedby the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to thespecific construction and arrangements shown in the drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a hay mowing machine or the like, including acutting mechanism having a laterally disposed sickle bar mounted to beswingably raisedand lowered, of a reel attachment including a transversesupporting beam attachable to the draft tongue of the machine,apropeller shaft mounted on said beam, said propeller shaft ext-endingto one side of the longitudinal axis of said tongue and having a beltand pulley connection with the driving means for the cutting mechanismof the machine, the opposite end of said propeller shaft extendingbeyond the opposite side of said draft tongue and having a universalconnection with an axial shaft of a reel, means for yieldably supportingthe reel in correlation to the universal coupling of its shaft with saidpropeller shaft, said means including a bearing element on the reelshaft, said bearing element being slidably mounted on an arcuate guidestandard on said transverse supporting beam, a spring element normallyurging said bearing element downwardly on said arcuate standard, andflexibly connected means for swingably lifting the reel shaft on itsuniversal coupling against the tension of said spring element on saidarcuate standard and simultaneously lifting the sickle bar of thecutting mechanism.

2. In combination with a hay mowing machine or the like, said machineincluding a transversely disposed vertically swingable supporting frame,a sickle bar mounted on said supporting frame with vertically swingablemovement, driving means for said sickle bar, a transverse supportingbeam attachable to said mowing" machine above the vertically swingablesupporting frame for the sickle bar, a propeller shaft on saidtransverse beam, a driving connection between said propeller shaft andthe sickle bar driving means, a reel having an axial shaft attached tosaid propeller shaft by a universal coupling, means for yieldablysupporting said reel laterally from the body of the machine in Workingrelation above the sickle bar of the cutting mechanism, spring meansnormally urging said reel downwardly on its support, an operating leverfor raising and lowering the sickle bar, and a flexible connectionbetween said operating lever and the reel shaft for raising the reelagainst the tension of said spring means simultaneously with the raisingof the sickle bar.

JIM BELLEGANTE.

